Last



Sept. 14 192,6. 1,599,848

l.. F. SMALL LAST Filed April 14, .1924 2 Sheets-sheet 1f mi wwe b/S? b N N @l ,o lig /ym'- I L w u ,z :(31 Z 1 Nro @e M fr N O rn sept. "14 1926. 1,599,848

L.. F. SMALL LAST Fi'led April 14, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'if fa/'ffm'. 1

patented Sept. 14, i926.

LEWIS F. SMALL, 0F BRAINTREE, MASSACHUSETTS.

LAST.

Application filed April 14:, 1924. Serial No. 706,227.

Thisinvention relates to a last for boots and shoes and has for its object to provide a superior last with which a superior shoe may be obtained as will be described.

rllheinvention further has for its object to provide a last which is more durable and more economical than those commonly in use.

To these and other ends, as will be hereinafter pointed out, the improved last is provided with a metal heel frame comprising a top member, a bottom member and a vertically arranged member connecting said top and bottom members, and preferably located at the rear portion of the top and bottom members, said heel frame being preferably made in one piece and of aluminum. i

The metal heel portion is provided with a lock for the fore part of the last, which latter may and preferably will be of wood or non-metallicmaterial, and which is provided with a rear extension or member which co-operates with the metal heel frame to form the heelportion of the last, and is preferably keyed thereto, as will be described.

Provision is made for reenforci-ng the heel portion of the last as will be described. rEhe bottom member of the metal heel frame is recessed on its underside to receive a heel plate or piece, and the walls of said recesses l are preferably rounded on their exterior to provide the bottom of the heel portion of the last with smooth rounded edges to obi tain a close smooth contact of the inner sole and thel upper of the shoe Within the latter at the heel portion thereof and thereby obtain a superior shoe,

These and other features ofthe invention will be pointed out in the claims at theel-1dof this specilication.

Fig. 1 represents a shoe containing a last embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the last represented-in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, a plan view ofV the last.

1, a plan view of the last inverted, and

Fig. 5, a cross section on the 'irregular line 55, Fig. 2.

In the present instance, the invention visshown as embodied in one form of last, Iin which the fore part t provided with a remoif'able section or block Z) is rigidly Acon.- `nested with a heel portion or part c. Such a construction of last will be hereinafter referred to as a solid last.

The fore part a, preferably of Wood or other suitable non-metallic material, is provided vv'ith a rear extension 10 with which co-operates a metal heel frame comprising a top member 13, a bottom member 14 and a rear member 15 connecting said top and bottom members and preferably integral therewith. The rear member l5 connects the top and bottom members 13, la at their rear ends to form a metal frame which is open at its front end for the reception of the extension l0 of the fore part a and is unobstructed for the length of said top and bot-tom members, and said rear member is made of substantial thickness and rounded or curved on its outer surface, and further is made substantially tapering in shape as itsv upper portion is of substantially the width of the upper member 13 and its lower portion of substantially the width of the' lower member 11i, which latter as shown in Fig, 5 is materially Wider than the upper member 13. The metal heel frame may and preferably will be made of aluminum, for sake of lightness, economy, non-corrosiveness, durability and other features. The metal heel frame is iirmly secured to the wooden extension l() of the fore .part a and being open from its front to its rear end can be .used with extensions 1.0 having` unslotted rear surfaces. ln the present in4- stance, a metal plate or key 20 is extended into a transverse slot 21 in the extension 10 and into a .transverse keyway 22 in the vertical rear member 15 of the metal heel portion, and the bottom member 1li of the metal heel frame is secured to the extension 10 by screws 23, whose heads are counten sunk in the bottom member 141- and concealed by a plug 1528 of lead. or other suitable material capable of receiving tacks.

A metal pipe or tube 2a, preferably of steel, is fitted tight into an opening or bore 26,. which is extended vertically through the top member 1.3, extension 10, partition wall or key 2O and bottom member 1li, said pipe serving asa vertical reentorcement for the wooden extension 10 and also for the reception of the spindle of thejack (not shown) upon which the lastis mounted when in use. The metal pipe '24 is provided with a metal plug v27 which extends from the bottom member i4 but partially the length of the pipe 24. The top and bottom memL bers 1S, la of the metal heel fra-Ine may be supported at their front or free ends by metal posts, plates or the like Q9, 30 arranged in suitable vertical openings in the extension l of the fore part and co-operating with the. upper and lower surfaces of the transverse key or partition wall 20.

Ylllhe top member i3 of the metal heel frame may be provided on its under surface with a keyway 3l (see 5) for the reception of a key 32 on the upper surface of the extension 1.0, and the inner surface of the rear member l may be provided with a similar keyway 33 to receive a key on the rear surface of the extension l0.

The heel portion of the last maybe further reenforccd by a pin or key 35 extended longitudinally of the heel portion and through the rear member l5 of the metal frame, through the metal pipe 2l, plug,- 2T and the wooden extension l0. rIhe key 35 may be covered in the rear member l5 by a plug 36 of lead or other material to enable the upper to be tacked to the rear member 15.

lt will thus be seen that the skeleton metal frame of the heel portion of the last is thoroughly reenforced to withstand the severe blows and usinage to which the heel portion of the last is subjected in the manufacture of shoes, which reenforcement enables the skeleton metal frame to be made of aluminum or other relatively soft metal, and the metal skeleton frame enables wooden lasts whose heel portions are shattered, splintered or worn out and useless, to be utilized, as the worn out heel portion can be ont down to form the extension member l() of the wooden fore part.

rlhe bottom member lll-.of the skeleton met-al heel frame is provided with a recess Li() for the reception of a heel plate or member 4:5, which may be of steel, wood or other material, and which is of substantially the same thickness as the depth of the recess, so that the walls of the recess act to prevent contact of the moist upper of the shoe with the heel plate 45, and thereby protect the latter from corrosion when made of metal especially steel.

lf it is preferred to make the heel piece -of wood, or other non-metallic material, the walls of the recess prevent the wood from being splintered and the other nonmetallic material from beingspread out of shape under the blows imposed upon it in use.

The walls of the recess ll() may be made smooth and curved or round on their outer surfaces, which enables the moist upper to make a closer t with the inner sole of the shoe which is laid over and tacked to the bottom of the last and covers the heel piece 15, with the result that when the shoe is iinished it is provided. with a heel portion in The skeleton metal frame also acts as a support for a key or locking device for the movable portion of the fore part of the last.

ln the present instance, the fore part ci of the last is shown is provided with a removable block Y) which has its front portion engaged with a pin i7 as now commonly practiced, and its upper rear end is provided with a socket i8 for the reception of a key or locking device, hereinshown as a metal plate or bar 49 having a flange or upright member 50, which serves as a thumb piece by which the operator can insert the plate or bar 49 into the socket i8 to lock the moyable block b in iiXed relation to the heel portion,

rlhe plate or bar i9 is carried by the top member 13 of the skeleton metal heel frame, and in the present instance, said top member is provided with a recess or cavity 5l having its end wall adjacent the fore part e provided with a slot 52 through which the plate or bar 4i) slides and whose forward movement is limited by the thumb piece engaging the slotted end wall.

By reference to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the movable part or member of the fore part of the last is capable of being locked to and unlocked from the heel portion oi' the last by lockingn device or member' carried by the heel portion.

The metal reenforcing plate or member 2O is provided with an openingI 53 through which the spindle of the jack, not shown, is passed, and said plate or member acts as a bearing?,` member for said spindle a il protects the non-metallic portion of the heel from being,- worn and enlarge-:l by said spindle.

The skeleton metal heel frame is hereinshown as embodied in a last in which the fore part a and the heel part c are in fixed relation to each other, but it is not desired to limit the invention in this respect, as it is equally applicable to that class of lasts in which the fore part is hinged to the heel portion, and when so used, its bottom plate may be utilized to hinge the fore part thereto, and when so used the fore part may be accurately fittedv to pivot with respect to the heel portion without side wabbling or movement.

Inlasting a boot or shoe, the heel portion of the last is subjected to relatively heavy blows and severe usage, which results in the heel portion of the wooden last being rendered useless while the fore part is practically as good as new, and the present invention enables the fore part of wooden lasts whose heel portions are worn out, to be utilized in the composite last hereinshown and described, and this holds true for both the solid and hinged wooden lasts.

As a result a superior last may be fur` nished the trade at a minimum cost.

The fore part a may and preferably will be provided on its under surface with a metal toe plate having an opening or socket 6l for the reception of a plug 62 of lead or non-metallic material capable of receiving the tacks employed for tacking the toe part of the insole, not shown, to the last.

Claims zl. In a lastfor boots and shoes, in combination, a non-metallic fore part provided with a removable block and with a rear extension forming part of the heel portion of the last, and a metal frame co-operating with and secured to the said extension and comprising a top member, a bottom member' and a rear member connecting said top and bottom members, said bottom member hav ing a recess for the reception of a heel piece, and said top member having a recess provided with a slotted end wall adjacent said fore part, and a locking device for the removable block located in said recess and movable through the slotted end wall to be engaged with and disengaged from said removable block.

2. In a last for boots and shoes, in combination, a nonsmetallie fore part provided with a removable block and with a rear extension forming part of the heel portion of the last, and a metal frame co-operating with and secured to the said extension and comprising a top member, a bottom member and a rear member connecting` said top and bottom members at the rear end thereof and leaving them disconnected for substantially their' length to provide the metal frame with an opening of a length substantially equal to the length of the top and bottom members.`

3. In a last for boots and shoes, in combination, a non-metallic fore part provided with a removable block and with. a rear extension forming part of the heel portion of the last and provided with a transverse slot, and a metal frame co-operating with and secured to the said extension and comprising a top member, a bottom member and a rear member' connecting said top and bottom members and provided with a transverse slot in its inner side, and a reenforcing plate extended transversely of the extension of said fore part in the slot therein and in the slot in said rear member.

4. In a last for boots and shoes, a one piece metallic heel frame comprising. a top member, a wider bottom member, and a rear member of substantial thickness and tapering outwardly from the top member to the bottom member, said top and bottom members being disconnected from their front ends to said rear member to leave between them an unobstructed passage of substantially the length of said top and bottom members.

5. In a last for boots and shoes, in combination, a fore part, and a heel having a metallic frame open at its front end and comprising a top member, a bottom member and a vertically arranged tapering rear member of substantial thickness connecting said top and bottom members at their rear ends only.

6. In a last for boots and shoes, a metallic heel frame comprising a top member, a bottom member and a rear member connecting said top and bottom members at their rear ends only to provide the metal frame with an unobstructed opening extending from the front end of said top and bottom members for substantially the length of the same.

7. In a last for boots and shoes, a composite heel portion comprising a one piece heel frame of aluminum having a rear member provided with a curved outer surface and top and bottom members extended from said rear member to form between them an opening of substantially the length of said top and bottom members and capable of receiving a non-metallic member having an unbroken rear surface, said non-metallic member, a reinforcing member of harder metal than aluminum interposed between the non-metallic member and the top member of said metal frame, said top member and reinforcing member having openings through them in alignment for the reception of the spindle of ajack.

8. In a last for boots and shoes, a one piece heel frame of aluminum having a rear member and top and bottom members extended from said rear member to form between them an opening of substantially the length of said top and bottom members and capable of receiving a non-metallic member having an unbroken rear surface, said nonmetallic member having a transverse slot, a horizontally arranged reinforcing member of harder metal than aluminum interposed between said non-metallic member and said top member, a horizontally arranged rein forcing metal plate extended in the transverse slot in said non-metallic member, and vertically arranged supporting members for said horizontally arranged reinforcing members.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

LEWIS F. SMALL. 

